Sunshine Matters

Media Coverage Overview – June 30, 2010

KEY TOPICS

During the last 24 hours, traditional print and online media coverage have reported on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill situation and its impact on Florida’s tourism industry. Some reports focus on the advertising being used by Gulf States to address oil spill concerns, in addition to Gov. Charlie Crist addressing Florida’s water safety. Below, see highlights from media coverage resulting from VISIT FLORIDA’s proactive earned media efforts.

VISIT FLORIDA PROACTIVE MEDIA ASSISTS

VISIT FLORIDA’s Communications and PR team recently assisted Travelocity.com with editorial content and information regarding the Florida Live platform, resulting in positive media coverage through CBS News. Click to see the video and read “Vacationing in the Gulf” at CBS News. The interview segment encourages travelers to keep in mind that there are 825 miles of beaches in Florida, and emphasizes using VISITFLORIDA.com to obtain accurate information before canceling travel plans.

On Tuesday, the PR department distributed a press release to travel writers and bloggers regarding Fourth of July weekend packages and events throughout Florida. Click to read VISIT FLORIDA press releases.

A reminder: VISIT FLORIDA partners are able to upload their press releases and share news and events about their destinations at VISITFLORIDA.org.

RECENT BREAKING HEADLINES

With the help of VISIT FLORIDA, the Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce encourages tourists to visit, Gainesville Sun http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100629/ARTICLES/100629432/1002 (In this report: Article shows that VISIT FLORIDA ads are helping smaller chambers reach out to tourists to showcase the clean beaches and local attractions.)

Gulf Coast tourism officials plead for help, USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/travel/2010-06-29-gulf-coast-tourism_N.htm (In this report: Tourism officials told congressional staffers today that additional funds over 18 months will be necessary to combat public perceptions about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Chris Thompson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA, was interviewed in the article reiterating the fact that the majority of Florida’s beaches are clean and open to the public.)

BP Oil Spill Hurting Some, But Not All, Gulf Coast Beaches, CheapOAir http://blog.cheapoair.com/news/bp-oil-spill-hurting-some-but-not-all-gulf-coast-beaches.aspx (In this report: Article discussed the impact on travel to Gulf states over the past few weeks because of the oil spill; however, in order to ensure that the public is in the know on what is actually going on in the Gulf, many destinations are keeping travelers up to date with the latest beach conditions.)